Aaron Rodgers Gets New Football for Christmas

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers came to practice the day after Christmas showing off a brand new football he had received as a gift.

"Check it out, guys," said Rodgers, as his teammates gathered around. "My mom got it for me. It's an official NFL ball. The same size and everything used in the NFL. But it's my very own."

Green Bay backup quarterback Graham Harrell said the football was "awesome" and that it made the junior Nerf football he had received from his parents "look lame."

Rodgers said he didn't even ask for the football or put it on his Christmas list, but it turned out to be his favorite gift.

"My mom knows how much I like football," said Rodgers. "I've played on a team for a lot of years now. I guess she just assumed I'd like a real, official ball. And she was right. I love it!"

The quarterback's mom, Sandra Rodgers, said her son's face lit up as soon as he opened tore of the wrapping paper covering the ball Christmas morning.

"He still had half of his presents to open, but he took it out of the box and immediately ran outside to throw it up in the air to himself," said Mrs. Rodgers. "He said, 'Thanks so much, mom! I love football!' It really made me happy to get him a gift he loved."

After Rodgers and his teammates threw the ball around at the team's facility on Wednesday morning, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy eventually had to ask the quarterback to put his football away so the team could start practice.

"I know they're all still excited about Christmas," said McCarthy. "But we still have to get our work in. If I let all of them show off their new Christmas toys and play with them, we'd never get started."

Rodgers said his other favorite Christmas gifts were "The Avengers" on Blu-Ray and a $37 million yacht which he bought himself.